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Access: from Annemasse (Geneva), take the A10 motorway, exit 19 (Cluses). Follow signs for Taninges, then Samoëns; on leaving the village, turn left and follow signs for “Col de Joux-Plane”. The road leading to the pass is steep and quite long. You can park near the lake.
(S) From the Chalet du Col car park (1,691m), take the track that climbs towards the Col de Joux Plane (road pass). Leave the track to the right and head towards the small pass at the foot of the Pointe de Chamossière, crossing a mountain pasture on a poorly marked path. We opted for a more direct ascent (from the pass, you can reach the Pointe de Chamossière at 1,889m). Once on the ridge, follow the path heading towards the Pointe d’Angolon (north-east).
(1). A rollercoaster-like ascent will take you past the top station of the Chamossière chairlift (TS Chamossière, 2,006m), via the Collu (2,066m); short exposed sections secured by cables) before finally reaching the Pointe d’Angolon, at 2,090m (superb views).
(2) Continue by following the path down towards the Pointe de Nyon. Take care, as the ground can become very slippery. The route is very steep (regular yellow markings). You will pass between two large boulders; after a few groups of spruce trees, the path veers left into a valley, below the Collu, before descending steeply in switchbacks. The terrain has suffered from recent torrential rain and mudslides sometimes block the path. You soon reach a mountain pasture carpeted with multicoloured flowers.
(3) Without going all the way to the lake, head down to the left, before the Têtes chairlift (Nyon du Crot), and follow the ski run to reach the Chalets de Joux Plane (1,483m).
(4). From there, you can take the track that climbs quite steeply to the left for a quicker route to the Col de Joux Plane (1,712m). For our part, we took advantage of the fact that the pass road is currently closed due to several fairly severe rockfalls to follow the road to the Col du Ranfolly (terminus of the Nauchet chairlift).
(5) Continue along the D354 to Lac de Joux Plane to return to the car park.
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